Zermatt and the Matterhorn

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Zermatt

We have now returned from the last big adventure, its winding down now.
Last entry we were on the way to St Moritz, we got into there about 3.30
Had a good walk around in the daylight, up the hill above town and around the lake. It's a picture perfect town but a bit too ritzy for me. Apart from the cold and the scenery, the first thing you notice around these parts in the prices. 
Must be one of the most expensive places in Europe. We leave early in the morning on the Glacier Express, billed as the worlds slowest express train, for 8hours it winds it's way through mountains, valleys, tunnels and across very impressive bridges to the town of Zermatt, at the foot of the famous Matterhorn.
The train has a glass ceiling to allow for complete viewing pleasure and lives up to the reputation of one of the worlds great train journeys. It was well worth while.
I thought the view from the room in St Moritz was fantastic and it was, but the view from the room we got in Zermatt was perfect. We had an incredible view of the Matterhorn soon 7kms away. I think I have about 200 photos of it!
When we saw the view Carmen says shall we book another night and I said sure thing. The next day I talked Carmen into going up to the Klien Matterhorn which at 3883 mts in the highest cable car ride in Europe.
Not to sure where's there's a highest one, I was very interested in experiencing high altitude again, getting up to the snow line and seeing the worlds highest ice cave. We managed to do all theses things, it was an incredible day.
The next day we met up with a Swiss Australian friend who's over here for a day of hiking, Pius is a hiking enthusiast and we ended up doing what must be one of the best hikes around the Matterhorn, the Matterhorn Glacier Trail.
It was a long held ambition of mine to visit an ice cave when I tried once in Bolivia,
Only to find the cave was gone due to global warming. This one now ticked off another was to hike along side a glacier, an today was the day to tick it off to.
What a walk, we did the walk back to front, starting at the lower point and hiking to the highest. 
The walk is described as being the closest you can get to the Matterhorn without being an experienced climber, it starts at 2580 mts at ascends to 2939mts over about a 7km walk. It's tough terrain, very steep often and the altitude makes it, let's say difficult. We saw glaciers up close and personal, glacier lakes, streams, this amazing out of this world scenery and all the time the Matterhorn is right there. We were at it's foot.  
What a walk, this is one place I shall have to return to!
We returned to Bad Zurack this morning, where we will be based now.            

 

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